NBA News Roundup: Kevin Durant and James Harden spotted working out together in Spain, list of NBA players currently wearing the No. 6 and more | August 13, 2022
Kevin Durant continues to dominate the headlines of the NBA offseason. The Brooklyn Nets superstar still wants to get traded, with the Philadelphia 76ers among the intereted teams. Durant was recently spotted with Sixers star James Harden having a workout together in Spain.
Meanwhile, the NBA has announced that Bill Russell's No. 6 will be retired by all 30 teams. Players who are currently wearing the number are permitted to continue wearing it. The most recognizable player wearing No. 6 is LeBron James of the LA Lakers.
Here is the latest NBA news roundup for Aug. 13 brought to you by Sportskeeda.
Warriors tops offseason Western Conference Power Rankings
The Golden State Warriors are atop the NBA's offseason Western Conference Power Rankings, per John Schumann of NBA.com. The defending champions are coming back with their main core still intact. Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. were replaced by Donte DiVincenzo and JaMychal Green.
The Warriors also boast a handful of young players ready to take the next step. Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are looking to play bigger roles, while James Wiseman is finally healthy. Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins, their two rookies, could also contribute at times.
Coming in second are the Phoenix Suns, followed by the LA Clippers. The Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies round out the top five, while the LA Lakers are at No. 9 and the San Antonio Spurs are in the 15th spot. It's going to be one interesting summer out West.
Kevin Durant and James Harden spotted in Barcelona
Kevin Durant reiterated his request to get traded during a meeting with Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai over the weekend in London. One of the teams currently linked or rumored to be showing interest in Durant are the Philadelphia 76ers, per Ian Begley of SNY.com.
Begley also noted that some high-ranking members of the Sixers organization are open to acquiring KD. However, the Sixers may have a hard time putting together a great deal that the Nets may like. Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle and Tobias Harris might not be enough, while Philly's stash of picks were reduced by acquiring Harden.
Now, the rumor mill is going to be on fire with Durant and Sixers star James Harden working out together in Barcelona, Spain. Durant and Harden were teammates with the OKC Thunder for three seasons and in Brooklyn for a year and a half. Here's a video of their workout.
Kd and Harden are both in Barcelona working out together lmao. https://t.co/UQDox4EMr5
Luka Doncic, Ja Morant among NBA MVP favorites who are 24 or younger
Nikola Jokic is the reigning back-to-back NBA MVP. The Denver Nuggets superstar has a great chance to win his third straight MVP next season. However, young players such as Ja Morant, Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum may enter the MVP picture.
The official website of the NBA listed players aged 24 or younger who might become MVP candidates next season. In addition to Morant, Doncic and Tatum, the list also includes Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves. They are four of the best young players in the league.
None of the top 4 NBA MVP favorites are American 🤯
The top 4
Luka Doncic: +460
Joel Embiid: +550
Giannis Antetokounmpo: +650
Nikola Jokic: +1000 https://t.co/6oR8jZNhm0
Morant was among the MVP candidates last season, but was sidelined due to an injury. Doncic and Tatum started off slow, while Edwards was overshadowed by Karl-Anthony Towns. Nevertheless, it's not far-fetched to think that one of these players will be next year's MVP.
List of NBA players who currently wears No. 6
The NBA announced on Thursday that Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey will be retired by all 30 teams across the league. Russell passed away at the age of 88 last July 31. The Boston Celtics legend was not only a great player, but also an civil rights activist.
"Bill Russell's unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. "Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill’s transcendent career will always be recognized."
The NBA and NBPA announced today that they will honor the life and legacy of 11-time NBA champion and civil rights pioneer Bill Russell by permanently retiring his uniform number, 6, throughout the league.
Full release: on.nba.com/3doE2pZ https://t.co/LdXT4Mf8W7
Current NBA players wearing the No. 6 will be "grandfathered in" until they retire or decide to change their numbers. However, no team are permitted to issue the number to anyone anymore. Here are the list of current players wearing the jersey number:
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- Moses Brown
- Alex Caruso
- Hamidou Diallo
- David Duke Jr.
- Bryn Forbes
- Melvin Frazier
- Quentin Grimes
- LeBron James
- Keon Johnson
- Kenyon Martin Jr.
- Jalen McDaniels
- Jordan McLaughlin
- Kristaps Porzingis
- Lance Stephenson
- Lou Williams
Bucks to bring back classic purple jerseys for next season
The Milwaukee Bucks are the latest team to unveil their Classic Edition uniforms for next season. The Bucks are bringing back their purple uniforms worn from 1994 to 2006. Some of the legendary Bucks players who wore the jersey include Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson, Sam Cassell, Vin Baker and Michael Redd.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Classic Edition uniforms will be called the "Light it Up" version. These jerseys were the second one announced by the Bucks. They released the black Statement Edition jerseys last month, while their white Association Edition and green Icon Edition will be used again next season.
The only uniform yet to be unveiled is the City Edition. For those curious about the purple Classic Edition jerseys, here is the video released by the Bucks to hype it up.
Classic never goes out of style. https://t.co/UHH4J2U4QC